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Featured in the photo are Nathaniel and Alice Lowery. Both are people are ahead of their time in regards to the fact that for one Nathaniel was widely known black DJ that introduced black jazz and pop music radio world. Alice Lowery became important…

Stepin Fetchit, whose real name was Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry, was one of the first successful African-American actors in Hollywood. Unfortunately, his fame was achieved by accepting movie roles which were caricatures made entirely of…

This movie poster from the 1934 movie "Judge Priest" is notable for its inclusion of Stepin Fetchit on its list of stars. Barely any black actors were ever billed at all, and achieving fame was incredibly hard. Stepin Fetchit, however, managed to…

In Miller's Canton, North Carolina City Directory of 1937-1938, there is a list of the churches located in Canton, North Carolina. The churches in the directory were divided into two different categories: white and colored. During this period,…

Harris Chapel AME Zion is an African Methodist Episcopal Zion church located in Canton, North Carolina. The church has been around since the late 1800s and traditional worship services are still held there today. The current pastor is Reverend James…

This document details the brief history of the Jones Temple AME Zion Church in Waynesville from its inception to the further establishment of leadership, community involvement and lasting impact in an area of North Carolina that was largely…

This newspaper article from the Waynesville Mountaineer highlights Jones Temple AME Zion Church and its history in Haywood County. Despite dropping membership over the past decade, the spirits of the congregation are high. In the article, Rev.…

J.W. Hood (James Walker)-(1831-1918) Educator, Bishop, and author of Sketch of the Early History of the African American Episcopal Zion Church (1914). Hood resided in North Carolina from 1863 until his death in 1918, and was a prominent figure in…

Reverand William E. Staley is the current pastor at Jones Temple AME Zion Church in Waynesville, NC. A figure of authority and inspiration since 1990, Reverand Staley is very respected and admired by his congregation in Haywood County and acts as the…

The building that would eventually become Jones Temple AME Zion Church was first built in 1855 and used by Waynesville First Methodist until 1883, when a new church was built just off Pigeon Street. Jones Temple AME Zion Church broke off from…